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Meet our Superstars
First
performance
Even more reasons to be proud
2009
Rise
and
shine
Why Fresh Start brings
a smile to everyone’s face
Ne
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Simply the best
2
NEWS
NEWS
Welcome to your new look magazine. Have you got a story to share?
n
editio
Please call or email Zoe Shaughnessy on +44 (0)20 72910507 zoe.shaughnessy@firstgroup.com
Produced for First by Words&Pictures
FirstGroup’s bus and train drivers really are the best. But don’t just take Route
our master:
wordLeon
for Wells
it…
Driving excellence
Adrian Hewitt pictured (second from right) collecting
the award from presenters at the RailStaff awards.
Adrian Hewitt, Train Driver (Bedford) scooped the prestigious
‘Train Driver of the Year’ honour at the 2008 RailStaff awards,
in Birmingham in November.
Adrian has been a driver for 18 years and with First Capital Connect
since the start of our franchise. He was named ‘Train Driver of the Year’ in
recognition of his outstanding conduct on Sunday 27 July, when he went
above the call of duty to assist a customer who had become seriously ill on
his train after suffering a suspected massive asthma attack.
In response to the incident, Adrian rang Control and arranged for
paramedics to attend the scene. He also calmed the customer’s wife and
small children by keeping in constant contact with Control to check the
whereabouts of the ambulance and crew. When the ambulance arrived,
Adrian gave them an outline of the situation and helped them carry the
stretcher up the stairs and over the bridge, so they didn’t have to call
an additional crew for assistance.
Adrian remained composed throughout the incident – not only did he
help the paramedics with their job, he kept Control informed and most
importantly kept the customer’s family calm. Such was Adrian’s contribution
that day that the paramedics who attended contacted FCC with a warm
letter of thanks.
Eastern Counties Bus Driver Leon Wells scooped the top prize at the
2008 Bus Driver of the Year awards held in Blackpool as well as the award
for the Best FirstGroup Competitor. This is the first time ever the same
transport company has won both the Bus and Train Driver of the Year
awards – a fantastic achievement. Leon recently picked up the Chris Moyes
Memorial Award, which recognises exemplary levels of customer care and
service by individuals working in the UK bus industry.
Time for Thameslink
22 March marked the biggest milestone for the First Capital Connect
franchise – the start of the new Thameslink route timetable. This
is in essence the real beginning of the Thameslink programme: a
government-funded £5.5 billion programme of work to introduce
new and improved stations, new track, new cross-London routes
Branded Thameslink train.
and new longer and more frequent trains with the express purpose
of reducing overcrowding enabling the transformation of the
Thameslink route.
For more information on the Thameslink programme please visit:
www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk
n
editio
NEWS
Platform for improvement
Preliminary work is under way
on the railway at Reading, in the
biggest ever investment on the
congested interchange. Among the
improvements that will take place
between now and 2015 are five
new platforms, an elevated railway,
a new station entrance and a new
train depot.
First Great Western has been
involved in the project from the
design stage, giving us a chance
to make sure the project is planned
and delivered in a way that will
benefit our customers.
“This is a vital project for the
Great Western route because it
deals with congestion – but it’s also
going to provide capacity, both in
track and platforms, for the growth
that’s predicted in the future,” says
John Bird, Interface Manager for
Reading and CrossRail.
Justice served
A man who punched one of our staff
has been jailed for four years in a
landmark case that proves we won’t
put up with violence. Karen Nicholson
was left with two black eyes so First
Great Western brought a private
prosecution – the first by a rail firm
in Britain.
Hurricane help
Our fleet of yellow school buses came
to the rescue as hurricanes Gustav
and Ike swept across the southern
states of the US in late summer last
year. Nearly all the 450 buses in the
New Orleans region were used for
evacuations, delivering supplies and
overnight shelter.
Investors in People
First ScotRail has become one of the
largest private sector organisations
to be awarded Investors in People
accreditation. Measures to engage
and develop staff include a quarterly
staff magazine.
Report launched
The Yellow School Bus Commission,
established and sponsored by
FirstGroup plc, launched its report to a
major press conference in the autumn.
The team comprises six independent
Commissioners and is chaired by
the Rt. Hon. David Blunkett MP.
For more information check out
www.ysbcommission.com
3
Platform for success: John Bird.
FirstGroup plays its part in
Obama’s Inauguration
First Vehicle Services was on hand to support
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police’s efforts
for the Inauguration. First maintained the fleet of
Harley Davidson motorcycles, which served as
the official escort for the USA’s 44th President
along the Inaugural Parade route.
Capitol idea: Vehicles
maintained by First Vehicle
Services support the
Inauguration event.
4
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
5
At FirstGroup, we pride ourselves on our great performance.
First edition takes a look at where our hard work has been rewarded
First performance
Safety first
Top prizes at
rail awards
FirstGroup has been named
winner of the highest safety
award in North America, the
Green Cross for Safety Medal,
awarded by the National Safety
Council (NSC).
Representatives from the NSC
spent two days at FirstGroup
America’s 2008 Annual Safety
Conference. They gave our
safety policies and safety
training a glowing report, and
singled out our programme
regarding Injury Prevention (IP)
FirstGroup walked off with some major prizes at the
National Rail Awards in September, including Passenger
Operator of the Year (First ScotRail) and Station of the
Year (First Great Western, for Bristol Temple Meads).
“As the UK’s largest rail operator, carrying more than
280 million passengers per year, it’s vital that we focus
on giving our passengers a quality experience,” says
Chief Executive Sir Moir Lockhead. “Our ongoing focus,
across the Group, is safety and customer service.”
For more information on the National Rail Awards and
a complete list of winners, see www.natrailawards.co.uk
Station masters: Bristol.
20 years of success
Royal occasion
HRH Princess Anne presented several awards at the
Aberdeen Dinner Dance, which celebrated our 20-year
milestone. FirstGroup America winner Ruth Hurlbert is
pictured above accepting her award. Ruth has been a
yellow school bus driver for 35 years and in that time she
has clocked up an incredible 400,000 miles. Also honoured
were First UK Bus winner John Corder (see page 9) and
UK Rail winner Helen Jarvis, Station Team Manager,
Haymarket, First ScotRail (for more on Helen Jarvis,
see ‘double whammy’ story opposite).
as particularly effective.
“This medal is a testament
to the focus on safety of the
entire organisation,” says
Chief Executive Sir Moir
Lockhead. “Our commitment
to the safety of our employees
and customers through Injury
Prevention means if you can’t
do it safely, don’t do it.”
WHAT a journey it’s been. On 20 January 1989,
Moir Lockhead and his team bought Grampian
Regional Transport from Grampian Regional
Council – and the rest is history.
20 years on, as FirstGroup, we’re now
the UK’s largest transport operator and the
largest provider of yellow school buses in
North America.
To mark the occasion, our King Street
headquarters in Aberdeen played host to past
and present directors, as well as Eric Robertson
who has driven buses for 43 years. Historic First
buses were also on display.
Sir Moir Lockhead, who has been Chief
Executive of the company since
1989, reflecting on the last 20 years
said: “No-one could have predicted
such an astonishing success story.
The future for FirstGroup remains
as exciting as it did 20 years ago.
The company has grown very
quickly in a very short space of
time, and I am confident that the
company will continue to grow
and prosper.”
Road safety award
First UK Bus has won the prestigious European Road Safety award,
bestowed by the European Commission on companies that make a
major contribution to reducing road fatalities.
UK Bus was recognised for its excellent work on Injury Prevention,
the Smith System training and for the innovative use of its bus
simulator for training in London.
Double whammy for First ScotRail
First ScotRail has earned double
honours for performance,
reliability and customer
satisfaction at the Scottish
Transport Awards in November.
The company won Public
Transport Operator of the Year
– for the third year running – after the judges recognised
its “impressive results across
the board”.
Meanwhile, Haymarket Station
Team Manager Helen Jarvis,
based in Edinburgh, scooped the
Transport Employee of the Year
title. Helen literally lives, breathes
and sleeps the railways (even her
home is a former station house)
and also supports local charities
such as Braveheart, for children
with special needs.
20 years in numbers
l Number
of employees has increased from 600 to 137,000
numbers have increased from 35 million to 2.5
billion per year
l In 1989 we had 225 buses – now we have 80,000
l Turnover has increased from £15 million to £6 billion
lF
irstGroup now cover the entire United States and Canada,
UK, Germany, Denmark and Sweden – in 1989 it was Aberdeen
and Grampian.
lP
assenger
6
NORTH AMERICA
Since FirstGroup
acquired Laidlaw,
the newly integrated
company has established
itself as a leading player
in North America
NORTH AMERICA
Americandream
FirstGroup’s
FirstGroup
America operates
w
no more than
you k
70,000 vehicles
on the road every
day, serving five million
customers in 45 US states
and ten Canadian provinces.
Bolt
out
of the
blue
7
Greyhound’s new BoltBus service has exceeded all
expectations since its launch in March 2008, carrying
800,000 people in its first year. The line focuses on
providing luxury and convenience, and because it only
sells tickets online or on the coaches and doesn’t use
terminals, it’s able to offer a high quality service at low
prices with fares starting at just $1.
At present, BoltBus operates between Boston, New
York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. It differs from
the regular Greyhound bus service in several ways. The
coaches have fewer seats, so customers have more
legroom, and there’s free WiFi throughout and power
outlets for computers.
“The PR campaign around the launch of BoltBus
targeted a different demographic to the usual
Greyhound traveller. We used a lot of online channels,
and the response has been overwhelming,” says
Kim Plaskett, Greyhound’s Director of Corporate
Communications. “Drivers all have scanners, so they
can issue tickets to walk-up passengers using credit
cards. It’s a modern way of doing business, which
works for the passengers and for us.”
Combining FirstGroup and Laidlaw
was a massive undertaking, involving
100,000 employees across North
America.
The ambition was to create a strong,
financially sound organisation, with a culture
that’s committed to delivering safe, high
quality and cost-effective transportation
services to our customers. And these aims
have been achieved.
In addition to integrating the cultures and
practices of the two companies, FirstGroup
America has forged ahead with its growth
strategy, based on our core values of
safety and customer service. We’ve spent
over $1 billion on new school buses and
over $100 million on improvements in
Greyhound. In addition, our operations have
been streamlined, with several divisional
headquarters consolidated into one, based
at FirstGroup America’s new headquarters
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
FirstGroup America’s customers include
municipalities, federal government entities,
private enterprises and school districts,
as well as the general public. Services are
delivered through a portfolio of specialist
transportation companies:
l First Student, the largest provider of
student transportation in North America
l First Transit, the largest private sector
provider of transit management and
contracting services
irst Services, the largest privately owned
F
vehicle maintenance service business
l Greyhound, the only national provider of
scheduled, intercity coach services across
the US and Canada.
“When the announcement about the
merger was first made, we weren’t quite
sure what was going to change,” says
Jackie Malblanc, Marketing Manager, First
Vehicle Services. “We found out very quickly
that doubling your company size actually
makes things quite hectic and exciting. The
biggest change personally was the culture
of the organisation. It migrated from the
compartmentalisation of sub-companies to
more of a team operation, working together
towards a common goal. We now have six
floors in a great new building in the heart of
downtown Cincinnati.”
l
ON THE MAP:
CINCINNATI
Located on the Ohio River
in southwestern Ohio,
greater Cincinnati has a
population of more than two
million. The city is home to
the Cincinnati Reds, one
of the country’s leading
baseball teams. Among its
many cultural events are
the Cincinnati Flower Show,
the Oktoberfest which
celebrates the city’s German
heritage, and the Tall
Stacks Festival which
honors Cincinnati’s
riverboat history.
Cincinnati’s
famous
sons and
daughters
include Doris
Day, and
pictured, Sarah
Jessica Parker
and James
Brown.
It’s a modern way
of doing business,
which works for the
passengers and for us
8
SUPERSTARS
SUPERSTARS
9
Our national Superstars competition recognises the people at First UK Bus
who have gone the extra mile for a customer, or for the business as a whole
Star
quality
It’s clear that you – and our customers – love having the
chance to celebrate our Superstars. At our recent National
Superstars Event, Nicola Shaw, Director Bus (UK, Ireland and
Germany), presented awards to our winners in front of an
audience of all First UK Bus Managing Directors and the Bus
Board. Anyone within UK Bus can be nominated, from drivers
to engineers.
The 20 finalists all had qualities in common – a great
attitude to customer service, and a willingness to take
responsibility and show initiative – while always putting the
safety and comfort of customers first.
First edition met the three finalists, and heard their stories.
National Superstars of the
Year 2007/8 Runners up:
Alan Grainger, Park & Ride Attendant,
Devon & Cornwall
For Alan Grainger, his responsibilities go beyond his job as a Park
& Ride Attendant. We’ve received plenty of letters praising Alan’s
conduct, and that commitment was recognised with a runners-up
prize in the National Superstars of the Year.
Alan is an example to us all. Take the time he came to the rescue
of a customer and a party of ten-year-olds. With night falling, their
car broke down at Alan’s Park & Ride car park. After attempting to
bump start their car unsuccessfully, Alan took them into his shelter
and gave them hot drinks until the recovery vehicle arrived. It’s a
great example of Alan’s ‘can do’ attitude and shows his dedication
to giving the best possible customer service.
Habib Ramzam, yellow school bus driver,
Halifax & Huddersfield
Habib found himself in a nightmare and highly unusual situation – on
board his yellow school bus when a fire broke out. Where many would
have panicked, Habib kept a clear head and got all the children off quickly
and took them to a safe place. He then contacted the local fire brigade
and phoned the yellow school bus control desk, who contacted parents
to let them know their children were safe.
Habib’s actions also minimised damage to the bus itself.
We want to hear from you!
The Superstars competition is open to anyone
who works on buses operated by First in the UK.
Every day, First people are doing remarkable
things, from actions that make the business run
more smoothly to those, like John, who save
lives. It’s not just about our drivers – we all know
people who are unsung heroes – so let us know
if you think they deserve recognition.
Every month, a Superstar winner will be
chosen from each First Operating Company.
The winners will receive £100 worth of high
street store shopping vouchers, and the
person who nominated the monthly winner
will receive a month’s free travel.
If you’d like to find out more about
Superstars, or want to get involved, then
take a look at our new website at
www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/superstars
For more information on your company
rewards scheme please check out the
FirstGroup intranet.
The National
of the Year 2007/8
The 2007/8 Superstar winner, John Corder, received £5,000 worth of vouchers to
pay for the holiday of a lifetime, while the runners-up took home vouchers worth
£250 for a short break in the UK.
John Corder, Supervisor, Essex
John Corder has been a Supervisor at our Chelmsford
bus station for 25 years. He is a First-trained First Aider,
and his skills were a lifesaver when an 82-year-old man
collapsed in December 2007.
“Mr Ratcliff collapsed in the bus station, and as I have
first aid training I was called out to help. We got him in
the recovery position and then I realised that he had no
pulse,” says John. “I gave him CPR until the paramedics
arrived, and they got his heart started.
“I didn’t expect the prize – although it’s great to get the
recognition – I really just did what I had to do.”
John’s calmness, professionalism and training certainly
helped to save Mr Ratcliff’s life – a fact recognised by
Mr and Mrs Ratcliff when they thanked John personally.
As Mrs Ratcliff said: “Without John, Edward would not
be here today.”
10
PEOPLE
ECONOMY
FirstGroup’s Chief Executive, Moir Lockhead, has been awarded a knighthood for services to transport
Congratulations,
Sir Moir
The Queen’s Birthday Honours list, published in June,
recognises outstanding achievement and service
across the entire community.
In 2008, Sir Moir joined the likes of Ian Botham and the
former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, to become a knight
of the realm.
After leaving school at 15, Sir Moir started work as an apprentice
mechanic. He then worked for a short period as a management
trainee with the Tarmac Group before following a career in
engineering. He then joined Grampian Regional Transport in 1985 as
General Manager, leading a successful employee/management buyout of the company in 1989, which was then listed on the London
Stock Exchange in 1994. In the following year, the company merged
and created First, and he became Deputy Chairman and Chief
Executive and a year later he was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s
Birthday Honours. Under his leadership the business has grown to
be the leading transport operator in the UK and North America.
With a relentless focus on safety and customer service,
Sir Moir has been instrumental in building FirstGroup into the world’s
leading transport company, employing more than 137,000 staff
throughout the UK and North America and transporting some
2.5 billion passengers a year.
Commenting on the announcement, Sir Moir said: “I am absolutely
delighted, it’s a great honour for me and my family. Most of all, this
honour is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone at
FirstGroup who have made the company the success it is today.
“It’s still business as usual though, and if you see me about,
please just call me Moir!”
First makes
miracles with
children’s
charity
FirstGroup America has
chosen a corporate charity,
the Children’s Miracle
Network, which raises funds
for children’s hospitals across
North America. The aim
was to select a charity that
supported our own brand
values and could inspire and
motivate employees, locally
and nationally. It also had
to enhance the life of the
communities in which we
operate. Children’s Miracle
Network meets that criteria.
11
Our Home Free
programme is making
a difference to the
lives of young people
across America
Ride
Home
Free
Greyhound gave its already
successful Home Free programme
renewed impetus during National
Runaway Prevention Month in the
US. The programme, which gives
runaway youths a free ride home, has
reunited 13,000 young people with
their families since 1987, working
in partnership with the National
Runaway Switchboard.
During November, Greyhound produced
a public service announcement with the
rapper and actor Ludacris, to air on the
major networks. They also created a Home
Free kit – a tote bag containing a toiletry
set, journal, pen and meal vouchers – to
make runaways more comfortable when
they travelled. Finally, 250,000 information
cards about Home Free were produced, to
be given to any young person in distress.
“Our primary focus as a business is
getting people home. We realise we won’t
completely solve the runaway problem,
but we can certainly help,” says Kim
Plaskett, Greyhound’s Director of Corporate
Communications. “The new measures will
be available for a year, and may continue
beyond that if they’re successful.”
FIRSTGROUP MARKET REPORT
KNIGHTHOODS
lT
he origins of
l In the ceremony of knighting, you k
now
‘knighthood’ are
the knight-elect kneels on
unclear, but they are
a knighting-stool in front
said to date back to
of the Queen, who then lays the
ancient Rome, where
sword blade on the knight’s
there was a knightly
right and then left shoulder.
class, Ordo Equestris (an
l After he has been dubbed,
order of mounted nobles).
the new knight stands up,
lK
nighthood became an
and the Queen invests the
established military guild in
knight with the insignia
many European countries, and
of the Order to which he
it had certain characteristics: a
has been appointed.
would-be knight would undertake
l Contrary to popular
strict military training from boyhood,
belief, the words
including some time as an assistant
‘Arise, Sir ...’ are
(an esquire) to a knight, with whom he
not used.
rode to war.
It’s still
business as
usual though,
and if you see
me about,
please just
call me Moir
The last six months has been a period of unprecedented
turbulence in global equity markets driven by a slow down in
economic activity and failures in the world’s banking systems.
Initially, bus and rail stocks held up relatively well in falling markets
and were viewed as more ‘defensive’ and thought to demonstrate
greater resilience in a downturn. More recently, as the economic
outlook deteriorated further, market commentators became
concerned that passenger volumes, especially on commuter rail
services, will fall significantly as the recession deepens.
In March the Group announced a trading update ahead of its
preliminary results in May. Indicating that full year results would be in
line with management expectations, the Group confirmed a strong
trading performance and set out the strength and resilience of its
business portfolio. The market reacted well to the announcement,
recognising that FirstGroup has a diverse revenue stream which is
well balanced between contract backed and passenger revenues
and has taken action to reduce costs to ensure that the Group is in
a strong position to
withstand economic
headwinds and
continue to deliver
profitable growth.
The announcement
by the Group at
the end of March
of the launch of
£350 million 12-year
bonds as part of the
Group’s strategy
to reduce reliance
on bank debt and extend debt duration, also encouraged market
commentators who noted the strong support of the bond issue
by investors, which was more than 50 per cent oversubscribed,
demonstrating the Group’s strength and resilience.
12
DEVELOPMENT
INNOVATION
Fresh Start is having a positive impact in depots across
the UK, adding a little sparkle to those early mornings
Life changing: Gina Fox and
(right) Paul Brown.
Our workplace learning centres offer
a wide range of courses for employees
and their families, from literacy and graphic
design to Spanish and scuba diving
Clean sweep
The First UK
you k
Bus learning
now
and development
strategy won the
2008 Confederation
of British Industry
Education, Skills and
Leadership Award.
The strategy was built
around ‘learning ladders’,
to target training needs.
Its impressive results
included reduced turnover
among drivers and £5
million in cost saving.
Thanks to a new presentation initiative,
vehicles all around the UK are rolling
out each morning in tip-top condition,
bringing a smile to the faces of drivers
and customers. After a successful
trial in Aberdeen, Fresh Start is now
being rolled out to First UK Bus depots
throughout the UK.
“The point of Fresh Start is to make
sure our vehicles are fresh and clean
every day, to reflect the correct image of
our company to our customers,” explains
Presentation Manager Dave Biggins.
“When a vehicle is returned to the depot,
31 tasks need to be undertaken before
it is put to bed for the night. Of those
tasks, 21 are cleaning related. It’s a clear
commitment to ensuring that our buses are
clean and pleasant to travel in – something
we can all take pride in.”
The five phases of the Fresh Start
standard are the fuel phase, sweep phase,
hand-wash phase, mop phase and bus
wash phase.
Because no two depots are the same,
the programme was rolled out via Fresh
Start ‘champions’, who completed a fourweek training course and then spread the
new standards and principles throughout
their depots. Despite a huge improvement
in the cleanliness of the vehicles, the
scheme has not cost a lot of money.
“We’ve just cut dead time,” says
Dave. “In the past, people used to spend
time walking to the vehicles. Now we
have everything in one place – vehicles,
chemicals and waste disposal – and that
saves a lot of time.”
Although the initiative has only been
running a few months, the response
Time to turn over a new leaf?
Life changing: Gina Fox
Gina Fox spent ten years in retail and another ten as a factory
worker before she joined First Eastern Counties as a bus
driver in May 2006. It was a decision that changed her life.
“I was dyslexic and had been bullied in school. I left without any
qualifications,” Gina says. “In previous jobs nobody helped me, but First
Eastern Counties recognised my dyslexia and did everything they could to
support me. They gave me the confidence I needed to believe in myself,
and I managed to gain a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).”
Gina now works as a highly valued ‘buddy driver’ – one of 13
in Norwich. Her achievement was recognised in November, when she
was shortlisted for the NVQ Achiever of the Year Award in the 2008
Passenger Transport Awards. This is a testament not only
to Gina’s hard work and determination, but also to our
workplace learning centres, set up in partnership with the
Transport and General Workers Union, which provide skills
for life training.
Each of the workplace learning
centres are run by a Trade Union
Learning Representative (TULR)
13
– someone like Paul Brown, who has worked in this role at the First
Manchester Queens Road depot since March 2004. During his TULR
training, Paul also found out that he was dyslexic. This realisation
strengthened his commitment to lifelong learning.
“Students at our learning centre come to me and say they’re
struggling with reading and writing. I’m able to refer them to a college
that can assess them for dyslexia free of charge.” Like many others,
Paul’s centre offers a wide range of courses for employees and their
families. People can learn literacy and numeracy, plus computer skills
and foreign languages.
“People have developed skills they’ve never had before,” he says.
“It creates a lot of good feeling around the depot and gives people the
confidence to take control of their careers.”
In a nutshell
We launched our first workplace learning centre in 2002, and
have just opened our 51st, giving 80 per cent of our UK Bus
employees direct access to skills training. Since the initiative
began, more than 8,000 vocational qualifications have been
awarded, and a further 8,000 non-vocational courses have been
run, including subjects such as Spanish and scuba diving. The
centres are either fixed, attached to one depot, or mobile. They
offer teaching environments to suit all learning styles, from
classrooms and e-learning to one-to-one sessions.
Change champions: Fleet Engineer
David Hibbs with Night bus cleaners
James Brompton and John Belzard.
has been excellent.
“The drivers are our first customers,
as they’re the first ones in the vehicles in
the morning, and we’re getting excellent
feedback from them,” says Dave.
“We’re also getting thank you letters
from customers, councils and transport
authorities, who appreciate
the improvements we’ve made.”
There’s been a
significant change
– I can’t remember
the last time we had
a complaint about
cleanliness
David Hibbs, Fleet Engineer,
Yorkshire West depot
14
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
Nearly 200 teams, 120km and several gruelling hours of running and cycling.
Welcome to Loch Ness and the First Monster Challenge 2008
“The most important
element of the race
was raising money
for Save the Children.
I thoroughly enjoyed
the First Monster
Challenge – it’s very
well organised with a
great atmosphere.”
Spread a little
happy-Ness
Monster 2007 was tremendous, but 2008
surpassed our expectations. It was a
fantastic day. My congratulations go to
each and every competitor. It is a very
tough challenge, but everyone rose to
the occasion and dug deep – it’s was a
mammoth effort from everyone both from a
physical and money raising perspective.
Chief Executive of FirstGroup, Sir Moir Lockhead
Nell McAndrew, model and leader
First TransPennine Express team
(17th – 6 hrs 56 mins)
We took out a £1 million insurance policy
with Royal and Sun Alliance to pay out in
the event of a proven sighting of the Loch
Ness Monster during the 120km team
duathlon that took place in September.
It’s not every day that Loch Ness sees 1,000
finely tuned athletes run and cycle round
its shores – it may just stir the Monster into
making a long awaited appearance.
Paul Moore, FirstGroup’s Public Affairs
and Communications Director
STOP PRESS:
Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol will all
play host to a ‘First Mini Monster Challenge’ this summer.
These events were very successful in 2008 and we expect
them to be even more popular in 2009.
To enter one of the First Mini Monster Challenges for
free click on: www.firstmonster.com/mini/staff. When
prompted for an entry code, type in First.
It is our goal to continue participating year after year
and raising funds to ensure that Save the Children
can tackle the difficult issues they face each day. Due
to our extremely generous sponsors, plus FirstGroup’s
match funding and individual fundraising – we were
able to make a $100,000 contribution.
Mike Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer,
FirstGroup America, on the five teams representing
FirstGroup America for the first time
“It’s a great course. The
camaraderie was terrific
and the organisation
first class. I’m relishing
the opportunity of
coming back next time
to battle the Monster.”
Gavin Hastings, Scottish rugby
legend and leader First ScotRail
team (101st – 8 hrs 11 mins)
“I am really pleased to
have put up such a good
fight, but at the same
time gutted not to have
won. It is a fantastic
course and a great event.
I’ll be back in 2009!”
Nessie facts
lT
he earliest recorded siting of Nessie is in
565, when St Columba saved the life of a
man who was being attacked
l In 1979, Californian biologist Dennis Power
claimed Nessie was a swimming elephant
Liz McColgan, Olympic gold
medallist runner and leader Team
McCoglan (2nd – 5 hrs 38 mins)
The First Monster
Challenge 2008
lA
120km duathlon relay
event for teams of four
l Eight stages – four
running, four cycling
l Starts in Inverness and
follows the Great Glen
Way along Loch Ness
l Each team member
completes two stages
l 2007 champions ‘Bikes
and Fitness Inverness’
came first in 5 hours,
45 minutes
l For more, visit www.
firstmonster.com
15
US team
“First Monster Challenge 2008
raised £140,000 for charity,
more than £100,000 of this
money went to Save the Children.
“One in three children in
the UK currently lives in
poverty. We think this is a
shocking statistic, so Save the
Children – with the support of
FirstGroup – is working in local
communities, as well as lobbying
the Government, to keep its
promise to ‘End Child Poverty’.
“The two-year partnership,
which started in September
2007, is worth £1 million through
corporate involvement, staff
fundraising activities, gifts in kind
and fantastic events, such First
Monster and the Mini Monsters.”
Dominique Shorten, Corporate Development
Account Manager, Save the Children
SPOTLIGHT ON
FIRST
CANADA
First Canada’s immense growth over the
last six years is a sign of its true pioneer
spirit. And this is just the start…
North of
the border
Canada is the second-largest country
in the world, with a land mass of 3.8
million square miles. That’s a lot of
potential, when your job is moving
people from A to B. FirstGroup has
been in the country since 2002,
and has grown rapidly mainly
through acquisitions.
“In the past six years, we’ve gone from
600 units in one province to 11,000 vehicles
and 12,000 employees in ten provinces and
two territories,” says Jim Switzer, President
of First Canada.
Much of this growth has come in the last
year, through the acquisition of Laidlaw
by FirstGroup. Until that deal, in October
2007, First Canada operated through six
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independent companies, each with their
own way of working. Now, everyone works
as one team.
The company is now set to explore the
vast opportunities offered by the size and
geography of the country. Already, it has
won a major bid providing onsite shuttle
buses to workers at the Fort McMurray oil
sands in Alberta.
In addition to transit operations, First
Canada is a leading provider of school
buses in the country, with close to 30 per
cent of the market. The third main strand
of the business is Greyhound Canada,
which reports to the head office in Texas,
but works closely with First Canada’s
other operations.
Fascinating facts
about Canada
l Canada consists of ten provinces
and two territories, covering 3.8
million square miles.
l Its road network covers vast
distances as the country is more
than 7,600km (4,800 miles) from
west to east and 4,800km (3,000
miles) from north to south.
l The longest road is the TransCanada Highway, running west
to east for 8,000km (5,000 miles)
from Victoria, British Columbia to
St John’s, Newfoundland – that’s
about 40 driving hours.
l Canada is one of the world’s
wealthiest nations, with a high
per capita income, and is a
member of the G8, NATO, the
Commonwealth of Nations and
La Francophonie.
l The country’s population is
estimated to be 33.3 million,
making its population density
among the lowest in the world.
l The capital is Ottawa, but the
largest city is Toronto, with a
population of nearly five million.